LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS

Wednesday, April 09, 2008
The Oregonian
There are some things Americans, and Oregonians in particular, should consider as they weigh the possibility of liquefied natural gas as a "bridge" energy source. The industry is quick to paint a rosy picture of LNG as a "green" and "available" source of energy. But there are many things they're not telling you.

Palomar, a joint venture between Northwest Natural Gas Co. and TransCanada Pipelines Ltd., is quick to point out the proposed Oregon projects' benefit to the local economy, but it never speaks of the costs to our communities and our nation. As reported in The Oregonian, proponents estimate the Palomar pipeline project would pump $75 million into local economies each year and provide $8 million in annual taxes. What they don't say is that the $75 million would come from regional ratepayers and, on top of that, another $1.6 billion to $2.2 billion, at current prices, would be extracted from the same ratepayers and piped out of our nation annually into foreign banks to pay for the LNG. The $75 million "profit" would be split between a small number of workers and the stockholders of the corporations that are pushing these proposals. The Palomar pipeline would cross hundreds of miles of our state, degrading hundreds of streams and many tracts of farmland, before slashing its way through the Mount Hood National Forest.

Proponents say LNG is a green source of energy. It's not. By the time it's extracted on a foreign continent, liquefied, shipped to our shore, re-gasified and pumped hundreds or thousands of miles to its end user, it has a huge carbon cost. Whatever reduction of carbon emissions is gained because of its cleaner burning is more than offset by the long journey it must take to get here.

Under the guise of national security, the federal government would condone the condemnation of private property for the benefit of corporate profit. It would also take and trash public assets and property for that same corporate profit. Farmland that has been family-owned for generations would be split and restrictions placed on its use. The litany of ill-effects could go on, but the winners and losers of the proposed LNG projects are already apparent. The industry stands to make a lot of money, while the planet, the country, our state and future and current generations of people, fish and wildlife will all pay a heavy price.

For the complete opinion go to: www.oregonLive.com